After the banquet ended, Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe walked out together.
The association president came over. As he escorted them to the entrance, he said, “President Qin, thank you very much for sponsoring this banquet.”
Song Xinya was astonished. She had never known that Qin Yuhe was the sponsor.
He had never mentioned it.
The banquet had been lavish to an almost extravagant degree. The venue, champagne, pastries, dinner, and flowers had all been chosen from the most expensive options.
This wasn’t a business banquet, either. Sponsoring it would bring him no benefits or returns whatsoever. It was pure money thrown into the water—a complete loss.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Song Xinya tugged on Qin Yuhe’s sleeve and asked, “Why did you sponsor this banquet?”
Qin Yuhe turned to look at her, the glow of the crystal chandelier reflected in his eyes.
“To vent your anger.”
Song Xinya recalled the heartbreak on Song Xuanli, Li Cuirou, and Zhang Yingying’s faces when they learned that she had become a member of the association, as well as the humiliating way they had been thrown out of the hall.
He had spent so much money sponsoring a banquet that offered him no return at all, all just to help her vent her anger.
A warm current surged through Song Xinya’s heart like a rising tide.
He had done so many things for her, and for a moment, she had no idea how to repay him. Then she thought of the thing he loved doing most…
Inside the Rolls-Royce, Song Xinya said to the driver in the front, “I have something important to discuss with President Qin. Please raise the privacy partition.”
Qin Yuhe leaned lazily against the seat and arched a brow.
Once the partition rose, the enclosed space in the back seat suddenly filled with an intimate atmosphere.
Song Xinya sat upright while Qin Yuhe reclined against the seat. He watched her from behind, his deep gaze filled with amusement. Relaxed and self-assured, he waited for her to speak.
She felt a little embarrassed thinking about what she was about to say.
She coughed, gathering her courage, and then opened her mouth.
“Are you free tonight?”
Qin Yuhe, completely at ease, asked smoothly, “When you say ‘free,’ what exactly do you mean?”
He knew perfectly well what she meant.
He was deliberately teasing her.
Song Xinya gritted her teeth. Did he think she was a pushover? She would show him.
She turned around and glared at him, her eyes sparkling as the raised corners of them radiated a seductive charm.
“You’ve been so abstinent lately. Is something wrong with your health?”
Qin Yuhe chuckled. He reached out, pulled her into his arms, and took hold of her soft, fair hand.
“You tell me. Do I look healthy?”
His fingers slowly traced over hers, one by one.
Qin Yuhe wrapped both arms around her slender waist and held her against him. As he spoke, his hot breath brushed over her face, making her cheeks flush with a dense, burning warmth.
“Yaya, what are you thinking about?”
Song Xinya buried her face in his chest.
“Nothing.”
A low laugh rumbled from Qin Yuhe’s chest. “Just now, when you asked if I was free tonight, what did you want to do?”
Song Xinya said, “I want to do something with you…”
Then she suddenly made a complete U-turn.
“Bake a cake.”
Qin Yuhe was genuinely amused. “What married couple bakes a cake in the middle of the night? Is the entire day not long enough for you?”
“Who says a married couple can’t bake a cake at night? The Civil Code doesn’t forbid it.”
“You’re the cake.”
Song Xinya lifted her head from his arms and raised a finger to tilt up his chin. A triumphant smile spread across her beautiful face.
“A moment ago, you pretended not to know what I meant by ‘free.’ And now you’ve finally shown your true colors.”
Ever since he had returned from the United States, the two of them still hadn’t been intimate.
She had already hinted to him, “The injury on my knee has healed.”
Qin Yuhe lowered his eyes and looked at the scab on her knee.
It would probably take another two days to heal completely.
“You know what I’m like,” Qin Yuhe said. “Once we start, I won’t stop until I’ve had my fill. I have a seminar at seven tomorrow morning. When I get back in two days, we can indulge ourselves to our hearts’ content.”
Song Xinya flopped against his chest with a muffled whine. “Mmm…”
Qin Yuhe patted her head. “Wait two more days. I know you’re very impatient right now, but impatience isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The more eager and thirsty you are, the more enjoyable it’ll be when the time comes.”
Perhaps that was another meaning of the saying that absence made the heart grow fonder.
It was like going three days without food and then suddenly being given a meal. The food would seem especially fragrant, and eating it would feel extraordinarily satisfying.
The car arrived at Zijin Huafu. Qin Yuhe got out with Song Xinya and accompanied her into the living room before saying, “I need to go back to the neighboring city tonight.”
Song Xinya was surprised. “Why?”
Qin Yuhe slowly stroked her cheek. “For work, there are some things I need to deal with. Personally…” His eyes darkened with amusement. “If I sleep in the same bed as you, I won’t have much self-control.”
Song Xinya murmured, “It wouldn’t hurt if we did it.”
Qin Yuhe’s eyes lifted slightly. “What did you say?”
Song Xinya, determined to preserve her dignity, said, “Reporting to you, husband: I didn’t say anything.”
Qin Yuhe smiled but didn’t expose her. “Go back inside. Two days will pass quickly.”
………
Over the next two days, Song Xinya busied herself with recruitment, conducting interview after interview.
The company had fired so many people that it urgently needed new employees to fill the vacancies.
She also needed to cultivate a loyal team of her own.
The first person Song Xinya promoted was Chen Siyan. She gave him a raise and promoted him to vice president of the company.
Chen Siyan stared at the appointment email sent by the Human Resources Department, his eyebrows raised and his face glowing with delight. He was so happy that he nearly shook his head off.
“Song Xinya, you’re my lucky star. Ever since I met you, my life has been getting better and better.”
“Don’t worry. From now on, I’ll be your most loyal dog. I’ll be your devoted lackey while I’m alive, and your devoted lackey even after I’m dead!”
The two of them had complementary strengths. One was skilled in online operations, while the other excelled in offline work. Together, they made a formidable team, providing training for the employees and greatly improving their professional abilities.
The company’s performance also continued to rise, flourishing day by day.
To thank Song Xinya for promoting him, Chen Siyan offered to treat her to a meal.
“What would Ms. Song like to eat? Mr. Chen is buying.”
“I’ve heard that donkey burgers from Hebei are delicious. Let’s go to Hebei and have some.”
“Out of the city?”
Although Song Xinya enjoyed good food, she wasn’t particularly food-obsessed. Why had she suddenly decided to travel out of the city just for donkey burgers?
“Tiantianquan really loves donkey burgers,” Song Xinya explained. “She always says it’s a shame she’s never had the most authentic ones. Now that you’ve been promoted, let’s bring her along and go to Hebei for the real thing.”
Chen Siyan understood immediately.
“So Ms. Song wants to go to Hebei for donkey burgers because she’s doing it for me.”
At once, Chen Siyan made a solemn decision. He wouldn’t just be Song Xinya’s loyal dog in this lifetime—he would be one in the next lifetime too. He would even bring along his unborn child so they could all bark together: “Woof, woof, woof!”
The three of them drove a hundred kilometers in high spirits and arrived in Hebei.
They found the donkey-burger shop with the highest rating on Dianping. Song Xinya ate one, packed up four more, and hurriedly carried them outside.
She had only just sat down—why was she leaving already?
Chen Siyan thought it over carefully and understood once again: Ms. Song was leaving the space to him and Tiantianquan so they could enjoy some time alone together.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Ms. Song was so considerate, always thinking of him.
Song Xinya arrived at the hotel where Qin Yuhe was holding his seminar.
Just then, Qin Yuhe’s meeting came to an end.
By the time Song Xinya entered the conference room, everyone else had already left. Qin Yuhe still had some work to take care of, so he sat upright in the front row, handling business on his laptop.
She tiptoed over and covered his eyes from behind. “Guess who I am?”
Qin Yuhe was startled at first, but quickly realized who it was. “You’re…”
He grabbed her arm and pulled her backward. She fell onto his lap.
“My wife.”
Song Xinya nervously glanced toward the door. No one had come in, and the door was closed. Only then did her tense body relax.
Qin Yuhe clearly felt the woman sitting on his lap soften beneath him, her bottom changing from a tense, solid block of stone into something as fluffy and yielding as a freshly steamed bun.
“Why are you so nervous?”
Song Xinya teased him, “Nervous that you might want to do something naughty with me here?”
The corners of Qin Yuhe’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “How can anything I do be naughty? Aren’t I always giving you the very best?”
Song Xinya had already been feeling unusually stirred up these past few days, and she continued trading flirtatious remarks with him.
Her fair, smooth hands hooked around his neck. “I suddenly came to see you today. Are you happy?”
Qin Yuhe replied, “Happy.”
Song Xinya said, “Since I’ve made you happy, you have to make me happy too.”
“Of course.”
She pressed his head against her chest and said in a sultry, alluring voice,
“I want to do something pleasurable with you in this conference room…”
